JUVE Comment

This Cologne IP law firm is one of the most visible prosecution outfits in the Rhine-Ruhr region with an outstanding reputation for chemical and pharmaceutical patents. It has also established itself in the IT sector. The patent attorneys assist clients from a broad technical spectrum in EPO oppositions and nullity proceedings. They also regularly act alongside external lawyers in infringement proceedings, for example with Taylor Wessing for Glenmark in the dispute over fingolimod.

In addition to its ample client list in the life sciences sector, the patent attorney team is also very active in mobile communications for small equipment manufacturers like TCL. This, like the filing work for numerous companies such as Xiaomi, Zhiji Automotive, Hyundai and Tokyo Gas, underscores the firm’s excellent relationships with Asian clients. The team is skillfully winning these over by integrating native-speaking patent attorneys and support staff. This offers the patent attorneys further potential to bring their litigation expertise into play, incl. at the UPC.

European set-up

The patent attorneys quickly translated their extensive litigation experience into active representation at the UPC. Together with lawyers from Taylor Wessing, they are representing Hanshow, a Chinese provider of IoT solutions for the retail sector, in UPC proceedings against the French competitor SES-Imagotag and are leading the parallel revocation action. With its good size and extensive litigation experience, Dompatent is well positioned to regularly represent its large German client base and its Asian clients at the UPC.

Strengths

Litigation related to pharmaceuticals, biotech and chemicals.

Recommended individuals

Jörg Helbing, Jochen Hilleringmann, Christoph Schreiber (“stands out in biotech, well connected”, competitor)

Team

18 patent attorneys

Clients

Litigation: Opel against MU Ionic over lithium-ion batteries; Glenmark against Novartis over fingolimod; TCT/TCL against NEC over mobile communications technology (settled 2023); Easee against Visibly over online eye-test. Oppositions: Hanshow against SES-Imagotag over electronic price tags; Kingfa against Novamont over biodegradable polyester; Ferton Holding against Storz Medical over medical device (all public knowledge).